End of term festivities at Bedales Prep and Pre-prep

Members of the Bedales Pre-prep and Prep community marked the close of the 2023/24 academic year with a series of celebratory events, including performances, assemblies, trips and more.  

End of term celebrations at the Pre-prep kicked off with the entertaining Year 3 production of Macbeth, which took place over two days on 19-20 June. The Pre-prep Sports Days closely followed on 21 June for Years 1, 2 and 3 and the following Monday (24 June) for Nursery and Reception. The children, parents and staff thoroughly enjoyed the sporting events and the warm weather made for a memorable summer occasion. View Sports Day photo galleries here.  

The next exciting end of term event was ‘Move Up Morning’ for children at the Pre-prep on 27 June, where they spent time with their new teachers in their future classrooms, getting a glimpse of what the next academic year will bring.  

The subsequent day was busy with festivities: the Year 3 Summer Fete and Hamper Ball both taking place on the Friday. The children demonstrated their abilities as independent and creative thinkers by planning and coordinating the fete in its entirety, doing a particularly impressive job of designing and setting up the stalls in the playground. In the evening, parents from the Pre-prep, Prep and Senior schools came together for the annual Hamper Ball, equipped with table decorations, hampers of food and fancy-dress costumes in preparation for an evening of entertainment. The event was held in support of the School’s John Badley Foundation, which funds full bursaries for students at the Prep and Senior schools and prizes were awarded to the three best dressed tables. View a gallery from the evening here.  

The final week of term saw a host of activities for the Pre-prep, particularly the Year 3 leavers. On 2 July, they headed to the Living Room Cinema in Liphook for an exclusive viewing of Inside Out 2 before enjoying a delicious picnic pizza lunch by the Sam Banks Pavilion on the School estate. On the last Wednesday of the academic year, Year 3 had a special leavers’ assembly, highlighting their time at Bedales Pre-prep and reflecting on their many achievements.  

At the Prep, end of year celebrations were in full swing during the last few weeks of the Summer term, starting with the Block 2 (Year 8) Leavers’ Play on 13-14 June. Students were heavily involved in the production of their play, titled Dark Deeds on Doom Island. The cohort chose the genre for their valedictory performance and inputted ideas and running jokes as well as taking turns to produce, direct, choreograph and work behind the scenes.  

On 21 June, the Block 2 leavers’ programme kicked off with a beach trip to West Wittering, where students spent time enjoying the sunshine, building sand sculptures and paddling in the waves.  

The last full week of term was filled with festivities for children at Bedales Prep, including a vibrant colour run that saw the students running around a short woodland course whilst being immersed in clouds of powder paint. On the Friday, students participated in the 12th annual Triathlon, with opportunities to compete in the individual sprint event, the duathlon or the team event. The students also enjoyed ‘Move Up Day’, where they spent time with their new tutor groups and classes and met new joiners who will become their peers next academic year.  

The annual Parents’ Day celebration took place on 29 June and is always a highlight of the School year. Parents enjoyed a showcase of students’ work before heading outside for ‘Samba on the Veranda’, a musical performance by students in Cobbs Field. Parents’ Day also included the Prep Sports Day, which featured a variety of field and track events, and concluded with a presentation and picnic for families. View the Parents’ Day gallery here.  

Continuing their leavers’ programme, Block 2 celebrated the end of their time at Bedales Prep with a special dinner, drinks and disco on 1 July. The festivities continued with the Summer Concert in the Quad on 2 July and concluded with the Block 2 Leavers’ Assembly on the final day of term, finishing with a delightful BBQ farewell lunch.